Georgia Tech at No. 5 Georgia (Saturday 12:00 p.m. ET, SEC Network
Spread: Georgia -17
Quietly one of the more intriguing games of the weekend is Clean Old Fashioned Hate between the Yellow Jackets and Bulldogs.
Aside from last season’s Georgia blowout, this has been a hotly contested rivalry over the last five years. 2013 and 2014 were both overtime games where victories were traded; 2015 and 2016 were one-score games with flip-flopped results as well.
Are we in for another tight ballgame, or will Georgia flex its muscles for the second year in a row? The home team hasn’t won this game since 2012, and the teams have traded victories over the last five years, so recent history would tend to favor Georgia Tech.
After a 1-3 start, Paul Johnson circled-the-wagons and has led his team to a 6-1 mark since then, including four consecutive victories; a close loss to Pittsburgh in September is all that separates the Yellow Jackets from a Coastal Division title.
No one runs the triple-option as efficiently as Georgia Tech, with Johnson’s crew leading the nation in rushing by a wide margin. They’ll hope to stay on schedule throughout this game, and limit the possessions for Georgia’s potent offensive attack.
With a healthy D’Andre Swift, the Bulldogs have been clicking on all cylinders offensively, and look every bit like a threat to win it all. With the rematch with Alabama awaiting in just a week, can Georgia remain focused against their rivals from Atlanta to ensure this season’s SEC Championship acts as a de-facto quarterfinal game for the playoff?
A key to this game will be third downs on each side of the ball. Georgia will hope to force Georgia Tech into uncomfortable third-and-longs, hoping to force Taquon Marshall to throw the ball more than Johnson would like him to. Only four times this season has Marshall attempted double-digit passes in a game, and the Yellow Jackets are 1-3 in those, with the lone win coming over FCS Alcorn State.
On the other side, Georgia Tech has struggled to get off the field on third downs defensively, ranking 127th in the country in allowing opposing teams to convert 50 percent of the time. That number isn’t likely to improve this week against Kirby Smart’s squad as they are one of the best in the nation in converting third downs, doing so on over 50 percent of such occasions.
Don’t be surprised if this game is closer than anyone is anticipating, but I don’t think the Yellow Jackets will have enough to upset the rival Bulldogs and knock them out of the national championship picture.
Pick: Georgia 35, Georgia Tech 21